Wildflowers, Hiking and Camping

Wildflowers

Crested Butte, Colorado was designated the Wildflower Capital of Colorado by the Colorado State Legislature in 1990. The wildflowers definitely earn their honored designation as they come out in all their glory from late May through early August. The wildflowers draw people from near and far to paint them, photograph them and just hike through them. Crested Butte hosts the annual “Wildflower Festival” in July and provides organized hikes, painting and photography opportunities. One of the most popular wildflower hikes is the trail through the Maroon Bells wilderness to Aspen. This is an 11 mile hike and takes you through a canvas of color.

Hiking

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The hiking opportunities in Gunnison County are endless! From 14teeners to an easy lunchtime stroll the adventure promises to be full of spectacular views. Some of the most popular hikes include:

Neversink Trail– Easy Hike – This is a flat terrain hike along the north shore of the Gunnison River with opportunity to fish while admiring the flowers and the birds.

Dillon Pinnacles– Easy Hike- This hike is in Curecanti and has wonderful views of Blue Mesa Reservoir and the Dillon Pinnacles. There are signs along the way which explain the interesting rock formations.

Mill Creek & Castles – Easy to Difficult- This is an all day hike with the reward being the famous and highly photographed “Castles” rock formation. Be sure to leave early to avoid late afternoon storms and hike with experienced hikers.

Beckwith Pass– Moderate- This hike begins at Lost Lake or Kebler Pass Road and is the saddle between the Anthracites and West Beckwith.

Oh-Be-Joyful- Moderate– This hike is a wildflower paradise along a creek cliff into Oh-be-joyful valley.

Copper Lake/Judd Falls– Moderate- This hike is a gradual ascent up to the pristine alpine Copper Lake.

This list just scrapes the surface of what awaits an avid hiker. The trails are too numerous to list but certainly provide enough of easy to difficult trails to keep you occupied seeing the various areas of Gunnison County. The nearby 14teeners include: Uncompahgre Peak, Redcloud & Sunshine Peak, Handies Peak and Wetterhorn Peak. For more information on 14,000 ft peak hikes visit: www.14ers.com.

Camping

With 85 percent of Gunnsion County being public land your camping options are wide-open! There are 38 different campgrounds in the Gunnsion National Forrest provided by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forrest Service which are lakeside, stream side, or mountainside. Most campgrounds are open from May 1 to October 1. There are also privately owned campground and rv sites that provide more of the conveniences of home if that is your choice.